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Do you have to decarb weed for cannabutter?

decarb weed for cannabutter

Have you been searching for cannabutter recipes, only to find that they all ask you to “decarb” your weed before making it? Or maybe you’re wondering if decarbing weed is even necessary to make cannabutter. If so, then today’s post about decarboxylating cannabis for edibles will be especially useful!

We know the word decarb might sound scary and complicated – but rest assured that decarbing your weed (or any other cannabis product) is super easy to do, and decarbed weed is better for making cannabutter!

In fact, decarbing weed before using it in a cannabis recipe can result in more potent edibles. This happens because decarboxylating the marijuana activates THC – which makes your butter or oil stronger. So if you decarb weed, you will end up with more THC in your cannabutter.

If you’re looking for an easy way to calculate the amount of THC in your recipe, use our edible and dosage calculator for THC and CBD.

What is decarboxylation?

Decarboxylation is a process where the carboxylic acid of marijuana’s THC-A molecule becomes a THC molecule.

Let’s break that down: decarboxylating cannabis means removing an extra carboxyl group from the cannabinoid THCA – converting it into psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

The process of decarboxylation is a chemical reaction – which means heat is required. That’s why you will find that every cannabutter recipe asks you to “decarb” your weed before cooking with it.

This also explains why making marijuana edibles without decarbing cannabis doesn’t work as well! If we don’t activate our weed first, we can’t get high from eating it because there isn’t any active THC present in non-decarbed weed. Only after converting THCA into THC can people feel its effects and enjoy medical benefits.

Can I cook with raw cannabis?

Nope. You should decarb your weed before cooking with it. Otherwise, you will not get the same benefits from cannabis as heating during decarboxylation helps activate certain compounds in cannabis, such as THC and CBD.

How do people decarb their bud?

There are essentially two ways to “decarb” cannabis before using it in edibles. You can either do so with the oven or a decarboxylation machine.

decarbing weed buds

For most cannabutter recipes, you will want to decarb your weed before adding it with butter or oil. This is when you use heat (traditionally from an oven) to decarb cannabis and activate THC.

That being said, if you are unsure which way to decarb weed for cannabutter, try both methods. Then test each batch of butter or oil and see how strong they are!

Using a Decarboxylation Machine like the LEVO II.

The LEVO II Oil Infuser is commonly used for decarbing marijuana to make cannabutter, THC infused oils, CBD salves, and every day infusions like rosemary olive oil and garlic butter.

decarb with levo ii

To get started with the LEVO II, turn the LEVO II on by pressing the power button.

Press “Activate” to decarb weed with a decarboxylation machine like the LEVO II Oil Infuser – this activates THC and gets rid of any impurities in your product! The decarbing process should take about 30 minutes, then turn off your machine when it’s done decarbing weed.

Now it’s time to add your decarboxylated marijuana and desired cooking oils or butter into the LEVO II! Simply follow the steps outlined in any cannabutter recipe, like this one for infused chocolate truffles. Or try making a cannabis-infused salve with our CBD Salve Recipe.

If you’re looking to decarb weed with a decarboxylation machine, check out the LEVO II Oil Infuser today by clicking here.

Decarbing Flower Using an Oven

It’s not tricky to decarb weed using an oven, and it only takes about 20-30 minutes.

First, preheat your oven to 240 degrees Fahrenheit (115 Celsius). While the oven is preheating, finely grind up your decarboxylated cannabis flower or kief in a food processor – this will help heat transfer more evenly throughout the product for better decarbing results. When grinding your decarbed weed leaves, make sure they’re broken into tiny pieces so that maximum surface area is exposed when decarbing! Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread out ground marijuana on top of the paper. Place the tray containing decarbed weed in the center rack of your oven at 240 degrees Fahrenheit (115 Celsius) for 20-30 minutes. It’s decarboxylation time!

After decarbing in the oven, let your decarb weed cool down before using it to make cannabutter or cannabis oils – this will help prevent any loss of THC when infusing edibles with decarbed weed. Also, be sure not to touch hot pans without oven mitts on because they can burn you! Once cooled, grind up decarb weed leaves again in a food processor and use them as directed in cannabutter recipes like our one here.

Decarbing Your Cannabis Using a Slow Cooker

Another decarbing method is using a slow cooker, though this one requires more work and time.

First, fill the bottom of your slow cooker with about an inch (or however much room you have) worth of water. Insert a thermometer into the water – if it doesn’t reach at least halfway up on the glass mason jar lid that you’ll be decarbing weed in, then add some boiling water or remove some until it comes halfway up! Set high heat settings on your slow cooker for approximately 210 degrees Fahrenheit/ 98 Degrees Celsius).

Add decarb cannabis leaves onto parchment paper inside your glass mason jar as directed above for oven decarboxylation and place those jars carefully into the heated slow cooker. If decarb weed jars don’t fit in the slow cooker, put them on top of a trivet or something heat-resistant to keep them above water!

Now the decarboxylating part – set a timer and simmer in the slow cooker for four hours. Some slow cookers will turn off automatically after a certain amount of time has passed; check on your decarb weed every 90 minutes or so to ensure an appropriate water level! Once those four hours have elapsed, remove mason jars from the slow cooker and allow them to cool down without opening lids (this is important!)

Once cooled, open up jar lids, and you’ll notice that decarb cannabis leaves are darker than before they went into the decarbing oven, with some bits crispy-looking. This means decarbed weed is ready! Grind it up again if necessary, then use as directed in cannabutter recipes.

How to Make Cannabis Butter in a Saucepan: An Easy Cannabutter Recipe

The most basic cannabutter recipe consists of marijuana, butter, and water.

making cannabutter is easy

In a large saucepan over low heat, melt one pound of unsalted butter.

Add one ounce of decarboxylated cannabis into the saucepan and stir well with a large spoon to dissolve the cannabutter mixture fully. Pour in three cups of water, then transfer contents to your slow cooker or crockpot on low heat for eight hours, occasionally stirring during that time if you’re able – this ensures an even infusion process! After letting it simmer for several hours, finish by straining out all plant matter using cheesecloth over another bowl, squeezing gently until no liquid remains (save this liquid, though!). Store finished weed butter in mason jars/airtight containers and kept refrigerated, so it lasts up to six months.

Making Cannabis Butter With The Levo II

The simplest and most effective way to make cannabutter is with the LEVO II.

To get started, fill the herb pod with either fresh or coarsely ground dried cannabis leaves.

Slice 16 oz (four sticks) of butter into large pieces, so they fit nicely in the reservoir of the LEVO II. Place them inside and close the lid.

Add the herb pod to the reservoir and press down on it so that all of your cannabis leaves are submerged in butter.

Choose one of our preset programs for making cannabutter instead if you’d prefer not to do any math or estimation at all. For example: set a timer for three hours and let LEVO II infuse your flower into butter. When complete, open the lid and remove the herb pod – squeeze out any remaining liquid/butter into the container!

What kind of recipes can I make with decarbed weed butter?

cooking with cannabis

There are nearly unlimited edibles you can make using decarbed weed, but a few popular cannabis recipes include:

And more! You can use decarbed weed to make any recipe that requires infused butter or oil!

If you’re looking for cannabis-infused cooking recipes, visit our blog to find the latest recipes and marijuana news from around the world. You can also elevate your skills by taking the Elevated Edibles Masterclass to acquire expert knowledge and really perfect your homemade edibles.

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